While three-year-old pacing filly Honey Do Jigtime put forth a record-equalling performance during Saturday’s matinee harness racing program at Charlottetown Driving Park, the program was marred by an accident in the finale, which sent one driver to the hospital
.
Acton Normal caught her shoe leaving the gate in the final $8,840 Atlantic Sires Stakes ‘A’ division for three-year-old pacing fillies and went down quickly throwing driver Shane Bernard to the racetrack. The incident prompted the race to be declared a No Contest.
Trot Insider has learned that Bernard was transported to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital with a possible concussion. The stakes driver was talking to the medical team after the accident. Reports from Charlottetown indicate that Acton Normal suffered scrapes and bruises, but was not seriously injured in the accident.
Horsewoman Clare MacDonald was a common denominator in the winning connections of the other two $8,840 Atlantic Sires Stakes ‘A’ divisions for three-year-old pacing fillies contested earlier on the card.
The MacDonald-trained and driven Honey Do Jigtime turned in a 1:55.1 record-equalling victory in her division while extending her current win streak to five. The daughter of Coastocoast Yankee-Gold Luck left from Post 4 and cruised through fractions of :28, :56.3 and 1:26.2 en route to the three and a quarter-length triumph. Longshots Galamoe (Todd Trites) and K D Go Onn (Gilles Barrieau) finished second and third respectively.
The time of the mile equalled the track record for sophomore pacing fillies held by Southview Special (2007) and Princess Julia (2008), and also tied the Maritime bred record for three-year-old pacing fillies, set by Southview Special.
Owned by Nova Scotia’s Morah Kerr and Phonsie MacEachern, Honey Do Jigtime has recorded nine wins (five in ATSS action) and two seconds in 11 starts this season to bank over $45,000. Today’s victory was her 13th overall and boosted her lifetime earnings to $67,364.
She paid $2.40 to win as the heavy favourite.
Force Of Fire also turned in a wire-to-wire victory with MacDonald at the helm for trainer-owner David Jackson. The homebred daughter of Force Of Life-Glacier Fire prevailed in a career-best 1:56.2 over favourite Diamond Coast (Gilles Barrieau), with Ultimate Spirit (Todd Trite) rounding out the top three.
Force Of Fire paid $12.20 for the mild 5-1 upset. The victory was her first of the season in 10 starts and second overall. She has banked $9,686 of her $26,860 bankroll this year by hitting the board in half of her seasonal starts.
Four $2,500 'B' divisions were also contested with Princess Leader (2:01.4), G L Emma (2.02.2), Countisfleet (2:00.4) and Disco Dot (2:02.2) making it to the winner’s circle.
Racing resumes tonight at 7 p.m. (AST) at Charlottetown, featuring the second legs of the Meridian Trotting Series and Spud Island Classic, and the first Sobey's Gold Cup & Saucer Trial. To watch the live stream online, click here.
For results from Saturday afternoon's harness racing card, click on the following link: Saturday Results (Afternoon) - Charlottetown Driving Park.